Category:God Give Us Our Daily Bread
Theme Analysis
The famous prayer, "O God, give us our daily bread," represents the fundamental intersection between human necessity and religious awakening. According to Śrīla Prabhupāda, anyone who goes to a church, temple, or mosque to ask God for their daily bread is acting piously. By doing so, they correctly accept the Supreme Lord as the original father and the ultimate maintainer of all living entities. This mentality is infinitely superior to that of the atheists and Communists, who foolishly believe they can manufacture bread through economic development and who refuse to acknowledge God's supremacy.
However, Śrīla Prabhupāda categorizes this prayer as a mixed, lower stage of spiritual life because it is rooted in material motivation. When a person approaches God simply to mitigate material distress or acquire prosperity, they are essentially treating God as an order-supplier. This mercantile exchange—"Give me bread, and I will love You"—is not true love. The reality is that God is already supplying daily bread to millions of animals, birds, and insects who never visit a church. If the Lord effortlessly feeds the entire animal kingdom, it is unnecessary for human beings to bother Him with requests for basic maintenance.
The transition from motivated religion to pure devotion (bhakti) requires a complete shift in consciousness. A true devotee does not go to God to take; they go to God to give. Real love is causeless and without motive. In the highest stages of transcendental ecstasy, a pure devotee completely forgets their own needs and becomes consumed with the desire to serve Kṛṣṇa. Instead of praying for their own daily bread, the pure devotee feels an intense urgency to offer food to the Lord, operating under the loving conviction that if they do not feed Kṛṣṇa, the Lord will starve. This unmotivated, selfless service is the ultimate perfection of human life.
- The Pious Beginning: Approaching God for daily bread is a pious act that correctly acknowledges the Lord as the supreme father and maintainer.
- Superior to Atheism: Those who pray for bread are vastly superior to atheists who falsely claim they can create life's necessities through independent economic development.
- The Motivated Stage: Asking God for material prosperity is a mixed, lower stage of devotion, as it treats the Supreme Lord merely as an order-supplier.
- The Perfection of Pure Love: A pure devotee does not ask God for bread; instead, out of unalloyed love, they dedicate their life to serving and feeding the Supreme Lord without any material motive.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: God Give Us Our Daily Bread - From Motivated Prayer to Pure Devotion.
Subcategories
This category has only the following subcategory.
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Pages in category "God Give Us Our Daily Bread"
The following 83 pages are in this category, out of 83 total.
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- A devotee is not interested in any of these (dharma, artha, kama and moksa). In the Christian religion, people pray, "Give us this day our daily bread," but a pure bhakta does not even ask for his daily bread
- A man who is going to the church, praying, "God give my daily bread," he is pious, but he's not a pure devotee. But there is chance of his becoming pure devotee in future
- According to Christianity, the supreme father, God, provides the living entities with all of life’s necessities. Therefore they pray - Give us this day our daily bread
- After all, Krsna is supplying the foodstuffs. That's a fact. Every religion accepts that. Just like in Bible it is said, "God give us our daily bread." That's a fact. God is giving. You cannot manufacture bread
- Anyone who is going to church and asking God for bread, he's thousand times better than that rascal, who is not going to church, because he is, after all, approaching God
- As in the Christian church they go and say, "O God, give us our daily bread." That is also good because he has gone to God. The atheists, they do not like to speak of God, what to speak of praying from God
E
- Even in the Christian world the Supreme Lord God is accepted as the supreme father. "O father, give us our daily bread." It is very good, accepting the Supreme Lord, the supreme father. Everyone must accept. That is human life. That is human knowledge
- Even the artah, even a distressed person, he is praying to the Supreme Authority, "My God, I am very much hungry. Kindly give me my daily bread." He's also philosopher, because he's searching out the Absolute Truth
- Even those who are going to church, they are also praying God, "God, give us our daily bread." These rascals, they have made God as agent for their sense gratification. This is their philosophy
- Everyone goes to God to beg, "God, give us our daily bread." But one must go to God to give Him. If I do not give bread to Krsna, he will be starving. This is devotee's mentality
- Everyone goes to God to mitigate some problem, that "God, give us our daily bread." That means bread is a problem, and as soon as the problem is finished, they forget God
- Everyone is trying to engage Krsna for his service. They are going to the church, "O Krsna, give us our daily bread," that "You serve me. You give us our daily bread and serve me."
G
- Generally karmis, they want something from God. They go to temple, they go to church, for begging something: "I am hungry, give me my daily bread." "Give me," something. So long we are on the platform of "give me," you will never be happy
- Generally we go to temple, to church, or to mosque, anywhere, the place of worship, "O God give us our daily bread." There is a motive
- Generally, people go to a church or temple to pray to God for material prosperity - O God, give us our daily bread
- Generally, people go to church, go to temple for material prosperity. "God give us our daily bread." This is material prosperity. Or "Give me this, give me that." But they're also considered as pious because they have approached God
- God is accepted as the original father. The Christian, they go to the original father: "O Father, O God, give us our daily bread." So we also accept. That is the godly conception. That is the beginning of religious conception
- God is giving bread to the eight million other living entities. Birds, beast, tigers, elephants, they are not going to the church for asking bread. But they are getting it. So if God is supplying everyone food, why He shall not supply you?
- God is giving me bread. I shall eat. That's all - I am meant for eating only? And why not offering? God will not eat. Simply you feel gratitude - Oh, God has given me this bread. Let me offer it to God first of all. Then I take
- God is person and He speaks. If He speaks, then He hears, He smells, He eats - everything. All the activities are there. If He cannot hear, then our prayer to Him, "O God, give us our daily bread," is useless
- God is supplying us food. This conception is there in the Bible, "God, give us our daily bread." This is nice. Accepting that you are getting all supplies from God, this is sukrti, this is punyavat
- God, give us our daily bread. That's all right. God is giving daily bread. Why you are asking, bothering God? He is supplying food to millions and trillions of living entities, and why not to you? He'll also supply
- Grain of rice is not man-made; it is sent by God. "O God, give us our daily bread." So here is the bread. It is God's mercy. Just see how great idea. What is given by God, that is also God. This is God consciousness
I
- If we are praying to God, "O God, give us our daily bread," and the bread is supplied to us, how God is dead? God cannot be dead
- If you are self-sufficient, why go to church and pray, "God, give us our daily bread"?
- If you think that "My dear God, I come to You for my daily bread, and as soon as You give me my daily bread, my business is finished with You..." No. That is also very good, but this is not love. This is business
- In Christian Bible they pray, "O God, give us our daily bread." So one should accept that it is supplied by God. So if one does not even accept this obligation, then he is sinful, certainly
- In Christian theology, the individual goes to the church and prays God, "Give us our daily bread." Why he's asking God?
- In every religion, God is accepted as the supreme father. The Christian religion also, they say, "O father, give us our daily bread." So God is accepted, actually He is the father
- In one family there cannot be two father. The one father. Similarly, when you speak of the supreme father, "O father, give us our daily bread," He is father of everyone. So why one should select one father, another man will select another father?
- In the Christian Bible there is, "Father, give us our daily bread." That is good - they are accepting the Supreme Father. But grown-up children should not ask from the father; rather, they should be prepared to serve the father. That is bhakti - devotion
- In the Christian world they go to the church, "O God, give us our daily bread." But higher philosophy is that we should not or we need not ask God for our bread. That is already there. We should approach God, how to love Him
- In the execution of material dharma, or religion performed for material gain, people generally go to a church or a temple and pray, "God, give us our daily bread." Actually, this need not be asked for, for bread is already provided for everyone
- In the lower stage of devotion, one may be interested in Krsna consciousness, but his real interest is how to improve this material life. Just like: "O God, give us our daily bread." So he has gone to God not to serve God, but to take bread
- Intelligent devotee, they do not ask like the unintelligent devotee go to the church and pray to God, "Give us our daily bread." He's God's servant, and He will not get your bread? You have to ask from God? No
- It is due to God's grace that you are eating daily. That's a fact. Either you say, "God give us our daily bread," or you don't say, God is anxious to supply you bread. He is so kind because you are His son
J
- Just like in Christian Bible there is, "Father, give us our daily bread." That is good, they are accepting the Supreme Father. But grown-up children, they should not ask from the father, but they should be prepared to serve the father. That is bhakti
- Just like in Christian church they go. There is cause: "God, give us our daily bread." The cause is bread. "Therefore I have come to church." But when you go to church without any cause, that is real love
- Just like the birds or beast, they are getting their bread without going to the church. They do not go to the church for asking God, "Give us our daily bread." The bread is there in the tree. They go and take as much bread as they like
- Just like this, "God, give us our daily bread." It is mixed spiritual. One has approached God, God is spiritual, but one is asking for material profit. So this is mixture, matter and spirit
- Just like, "O God, give us our daily bread." That means I have got attachment of this material world, and to live in this material world, I must have supplies of material things so that I can maintain my status quo. This is called material attachment
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- Krsna is not miser. He is supplying millions and millions of living entities bread. So what is the use of asking Him? The birds, the beasts, they have no church and pray to God, "Oh, give us our daily bread," but nobody is starving
- Krsna is the Supreme Person. He has created us, Krsna's family. We also address Krsna, "O Father, give us our daily bread." And He's actually giving us bread. Not only us, to all the living entities. So it is a big family
L
O
- O the energy of Krsna, O the Lord Krsna, please engage me in Your service. - This is our prayer. We are not going to pray, "O God, give us our daily bread." And if you get bread, then what do you gain?
- One who goes to pray in the church or in the temple, "O God, give us our daily bread," or "God, give me some money," or "God, give me relief from this distress," they are also pious. They are not impious
- One who is simply taking from father, "O God, give us our daily bread," and He is supplying, and eating and enjoying sense enjoyment, he is not real son. The real son is he who sacrifices his life for glorifying his father
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- People are generally inclined to execute religious principles to make economic development. Just like in your Christian religion they go to church and pray, "Oh God, give us our daily bread." That is mainly economic development
- People become religious. Just like in your Christian religion they go to the church to get some material profit, "O God, give us our daily bread." This is material profit. Similarly, Hindus or Muslims, they become religious
- People generally pray for material benefits: "O God, give us our daily bread. Give me nice position. Give me nice wife, nice following or this or victory," so on, so on, so on, simply for material enjoyment
- People ordinarily go to Krsna to maintain their attachment to this material world. "O God," they pray, - give us our daily bread
S
- So long I keep God as my order-supplier, that is not bhakti. Generally, people keep God as his order-supplier: "O God, give us our daily bread," "O God, I am in distress, "O God, I am in difficulty, "O God, I am..." God supplies them
- Spiritual paths are divided into four. Not real spiritual, mixed spiritual. Just like this, "God, give us our daily bread." It is mixed spiritual
- Suppose if you go to a king and he says, "All right, you can ask anything from me," and if you say, "Give me bread, a piece of bread," is that very intelligent?
- Supposed you go to church: "God, give us our daily bread." God is giving, then what do you get? Bread is given to the animals also. Why you are going to the church?
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- The ants and the elephants, they do not go to the church for asking God, "Oh, give us our daily bread," but still, they are getting. Then the next question is that "What is our duty?" Our duty is to feel obliged to God and try to serve Him
- The cats and dogs are supplied with necessities of life. So why we should bother Krsna, asking Him, "Give us our daily bread"? He is supplying already. Our business is how to love Him. That is religion
- The Christians pray in the church, "Oh, God, give us our daily bread." So God has got ear so that He will hear and supply. But His personality, His word, His hearing, they're all transcendental, nonmaterial
- The Communist country, they make propaganda. In the villages. They ask the people to go to the church and ask for bread. They, innocent people, they ask as usual: "Oh God, give us our daily bread."
- The Communists make propaganda in the villages by asking people to go to church and pray for bread. So the innocent people pray as usual, - O God, give us our daily bread
- The poor do not have sufficient food. Let them go to the church and pray, 'O God, give us our daily bread.' But I have enough bread. Why should I go to church? - This is their opinion.
- There are different kinds of love or worship in the world. The beginning is, "O God, give us our daily bread." This is beginning
- There are different types of religious system, but that type of religious system is first class which teaches the follower how to love God. That is first class, not to go to the church: "Give me my daily bread" or "Please minimize my troubles of life."
- There is a position where, instead of asking, "O God, please give us our daily bread," you can instead think that God will die if you do not supply bread to Him. This is the ecstasy of extreme love
- There is no need of bothering Krsna, "God give us our daily bread." He will give you. Don't bother. Try to become very faithful servant of God. "Oh, God has given me so many things. So let me give my energy to serve Krsna." This is required
- They go to the church for some material benefit: "O God, give us our daily bread," asking some material benefit. Similarly, Hindus also, they go to the temple, pray to the Lord, - My Lord, I am very much distressed. I have no money. Kindly give some
- Those who have got background of pious life. So even one goes to the church, "God, give us our daily bread," he's not ordinary person. He's pious man. He has gone to God to ask. He has not gone to anyone
- Those who offer this prayer (God give us our daily bread), may not know very much and may be at a lower stage, but this is a beginning, because they have approached God
- To accept God as son means to give Him more service. Son takes service from the father: "Give us our daily bread." But the father gives the son daily bread. That is more valuable
W
- We are trying to take facilities from Krsna beginning from "O God, give us our daily bread, then give me motorcar, then give me airplane, then give me this, give me that." "Take all, but you will never be happy unless you surrender to Me"
- We must be dependent on God. Therefore in your Christian Bible also you go for your bread: "God, give us our daily bread." So you are dependent. So it is better to remain dependent on God than to use your so-called little freedom
- We should love God without any cause. Just like we go to temple, church, with a motive. We go there: "O God, give us our daily bread. I have come to You for my bread." That is not love of God. That is love of bread
- We should not love Krsna for some material gain. It is not that: "Krsna, give us our daily bread. Then I love You. Krsna, give me this. Then I love You." There is no such mercantile exchange. That is wanted. Krsna wants that kind of love
- What is the difference between God and ourself? God is also a living entity like us, but He's the chief living entity. He's maintaining all others. Therefore we have to ask God, "Give us our daily bread." He's the maintainer
- What is this prayer? "Give me a little bread"? Of course, it is better than the rascals who are atheists. They do not approach God. They say, "Oh, what is God? I am God. I shall, by economic development, I shall create so many breads."